Australia’s RMIT to Offer Students Blockchain-based Credentials

The Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) announced on Monday that its students would be able to get digital credentials stored on blockchain. The project was developed together with digital credential platform Credly. The new type of credentials would enable students to present their skills and build a CV on blockchain. They can then share their skills with social network platforms like LinkedIn (NYSE:LNKD).

Professor Belinda Tynan, deputy vice chancellor for education and VP, commented

“RMIT is an innovator, and with this initiative we’re exploring the latest application of this technology as part of our commitment to enhancing our students’ experience.

RMIT sees the project as an early and important use case for distributed ledger technology (DLT).

“RMIT is at the forefront of helping both students and employers leverage the potential of blockchain to fill long-standing skill and communications gaps,” Tynan stated. “Our collaboration will provide students with the tools to better communicate industry-relevant skills and experiences into economic and life opportunities,” she added.

The credentials will become available to students who take part in RMIT’s Developing Blockchain Strategy course, on which we reported in February. The university will start issuing the digital certificates at the end of August 2018.

In September 2017, the university launched the RMIT Blockchain Innovation Hub, which is claimed to be the world’s first blockchain-oriented research center studying the social science of the emerging technology. Meanwhile, RMIT believes that blockchain will turn into a key element of the global economy and will transform business soon.

Speaking about the partnership, Jonathan Finkelstein, founder and CEO of Credly, commented

“This collaboration with a pioneering global partner provides an opportunity to test and refine the application of blockchain in unlocking the full potential for individuals — and organisations — to communicate and discover skills and competencies.

Credly is also a partner of the American Council on Education (ACE), American Society of Association Executives (ASAE), Destiny Solutions, and Lumina Foundation among others.